The tactician's wolf brother
by Alaya's trngfanfics
Summary: "The only way to predict the future is to have power to shape the future. Someone deep in the woods can provide you the strength you need, Princess. And he may be the one thanks to who you grew up old enough in your time. But be aware: Papa is not one for lollygagging." ON STANDBY: REWRITING FOR MORE COHERENCE. WILL BE RELEASED REGULARLY STARTING FROM DECEMBER.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, everyone! Here is a little fanfiction I had in my small scatterbrained head for a while.**

 **The plot may be a little difficult to understand for now, but it will become clearer in the next chapters.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Fire Emblem Awakening.**

 **The idea was inspired by :** _ **Big Daddy Werewolf**_ **(a TESV fanfic from ChaoticGuardian1253),** _ **Ichi**_ **(a manga by SHIMOZAWA Kan and SHINOHARA Hana) and** _ **The Wolf Among Us**_ **(Telltale Games) among others. So I disclaim the similarities as well.**

 **One last thing: vote for any couple you desire to see in this fic in the review section (except for Lucina; and Robin is a man in this story). Any constructive (or not) criticism is welcomed; be it three words or an encyclopedia, I'll take time to read it.**

 **Enjoy ^^**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 : What lies ahead**

 _The tall figure stopped in front of the door, though it was closed. That door should never be closed. Robin knew that. He looked around the small house that the people of the village called The Wicked House, grunting. Many years before, the secluded residence looked like a small paradise. Now, the name suited the place very well: the beautiful blue flowers were all smashed; the garden was turned upside down, all the windows broken. If the general mess of his home didn't bothered him that much (he was used to this, after all, though he was not the cause of it), the absolute absence of his sibling's scent worried him._

 _Beginning to panic, he half-crushed the door to see a note on the ground._

" _Dear brother,_

 _I can no longer run away. Plus, we need the fund for your operation. So I am enlisting in the Grimleal legion. But worry not, as you know they need me as an officer, not an infantry soldier._

 _Don't come. I don't want you hurt._

 _Forgive me. I promise I will return home, my hands full of gold._

 _See you soon,_

 _Robin"_

 _The teenager froze. He remained at the entrance for nearly an hour. Finally, he went out and sat in a chair, looking at the sky. He knew that even if he tried to sneak up to any human military base, he would be slaughtered on sight._ _"_ _I hope you're right", he thought, exhaling sorrowfully._

 _Only, nobody ever came to the house._

* * *

Lucina hid behind a tree, clenching her chest while silently crying under her mask. After all these years, she had been able to see her father. Alive. The overflow of emotions accumulated during all the years spent in a hellhole resurfaced at once. However, she couldn't stay. Not only because she didn't trust herself for holding up her identity, but also, well… The initial plan was to go back in time and do anything to change their grim future, WITHOUT interfering too much. The best plan they managed to come up with wasn't quite detailed enough yet. For now, she was alone and had no way to ask her friends what they thought would be the best thing to do.

Nonetheless, she decided to shadow the Shepherds until they reached Ylisstol, hoping her friends were all right. After that, she would decide of her course of actions. She started to trek into the woods, a hand always on the hilt of the Parallel Falchion, cautious as ever. After an hour, she decided to make a camp, even if the sun had disappeared behind the horizon for quite some time. As she was looking for a water point and some dead wood, it began to rain. The young princess hastily grabbed the branches she collected and ran to find shelter. She had grown to be tough, nevertheless prevention is better than cure; she hadn't come all this length to just die of a stupid cold.

Spotting a cave almost hidden behind two large bushes, she made a dash towards it. By the time she approached it, the water was falling hard like rocks. The princess unsheathed her sword and carefully entered the possible den. She inspected it, and since she did not detect any breathing or movement, she placed Falchion on the ground beside her and started to build a campfire. Her mind was already fuzzy with the entire time travel thing. Additionally, her damp clothes didn't help the matter.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't expect the cold sensation of metal against her throat. She didn't even have the time to grab her own sword. No, wait; there was someone else in the cave? Barely turning her head, Lucina was stunned by the sight of a small female figure almost cowering in the shadows. A faint white reflection appeared to come from the small girl's head and over her shoulders. She released a long breath. After a few seconds, she muttered in a very faint voice, "What…do you want?"

The voice was harsh, but it was, with no doubt, a child's voice. The princess didn't know how to react. She wasn't sure if it was safe enough to casually talk with a stranger who was threatening her with what looked like a long curved blade. Also, she spoke with her best male voice.

"Look, I don't wan-"

"Don't try to fool me," the girl said quietly.

"… As you wish. I just happened to hide from this downpour. I'm sorry if I intruded your, err…home?"

The little girl was silent for a while. Then, she stepped out of the shadows and came to sit in front of the fire which was just starting to crackle, as far as possible from the disguised princess. Now, in the dim light of the campfire, the latter was able to look closely at her unexpected "roommate". She was skinny and pale, although not enough to occult a certain beauty (well, as much as a child of her age could be). She was dressed with rags, her feet barely covered with foot wraps. Besides her disheveled clothing, she seemed as clean as a noble's kid would be, except for the incredible jumble of leaves, brushwood, and even small berries in her hair. What struck the most the princess was the color of the long hair that totally draped the child. As white as snow. Lucina was sure this was more of a Plegian characteristic trait. The lack of light didn't allow further detailed inspection of her facial features, but it was clear that her eyes were closed.

They waited in an awkward silence, the girl not showing any sign that she wanted to open her eyes. Lucina was sure she wasn't sleeping by the way her hands clenched the white katana she pointed not so long ago to the future past Exalt. Surprisingly, the youngling was the first to break the silence.

"Name's Hachi"

…

"…yours?"

The princess didn't answer at first, taking the time to register the girl's voice.

"My name is L-Marth. Nice to meet you."

"…Liar."

Lucina was too startled to utter a word. How did she manage to read through her that easily? Was her play that bad? Stopping to swallow, she turned to look at the white haired girl, recomposing herself.

"Why would I lie?"

Hachi stayed silent, pondering some reflection. Her eyes were still closed. "That…is a question you should ask to yourself…I'm sorry, but I think you are far from pretending to be like the Hero King himself, right miss?"

The hard words surprised the young woman even more, and slightly angered her. Though since the girl in front of her was probably very young, she let it slide with an internal pout, staying the impervious warrior she was in the outside, both hurt in her pride and her acting skills.

"All right, all right. My name is not Marth. But the current circumstances forbid me from revealing my identity. I am not a bandit, if that may ease you."

Lucina saw the girl's grip on her sword ease up, surprised that her words had been trust. The now curious and concerned princess leaned a bit forward, watching attentively. Somehow, the kid painfully reminded her of herself, just after her…"past" father's death. Her chivalric spirit kicked in, but she didn't know how to provide assistance to Hachi, or even if she needed some. She esteeming that if necessary, she had the time to quickly help a poor child before her, err, "current" father's group arrived at Ylisstol.

"So, is it really your home, or do you wish me to accompany you through the forest to your house?"

"… Could you just tell me how the sky is?"

The exalted one wore a dumfounded expression on her face. Then a sense of uneasiness filled her. She was not quite aware that her query may have been rude; after all, the teenager didn't even supposed that the kid might have run away. She was probably talented for war speeches, but lacked a lot in normal social exchanges. However what she was starting to understand now was…

"Mmm, Miss Hachi, a-are you, perhaps…?"

"Please, express yourself clearly."

"A-Are you …visually disadvantaged?"

"…Yes, I'm blind. Still, you didn't answer my question. How is it outside?"

Lucina lowered her head in guilt and compassion. She tried to reply without letting her voice waver, not wanting to let the young one think she pitied her. She knew it wasn't usually a welcomed feeling.

"Well, it is pretty dark"

Hachi sighted deeply, laying her katana by her side.

"Then I'll have to answer yours. It's "give and take", as daddy says. I don't need your help, miss. The forest is my home. But Papa obviously lost the track of time. Again."

"Huh, do you want that we look for him after it stop raining?"

The blind child gritted imperceptibly her teeth.

"No, thank you. I'll be fine by myself."

"O-Okay…"

The young woman lowered her head again, feeling useless. A few hours passed in a complete awkward silence, until the rainfall eventually ceased. It was already dawn. The cerulean haired teen jolted up, tensely heading to the entrance of the cave.

"Looks like that is it. I-I have to go. It was nice to chat with you."

Just as she was passing in front of the white haired kid, she felt a tiny hand grab the sleeve of her glove. She volte-faced to meet two bright light blue orbs, that were looking slightly past her.

"I don't see the world the same way you do, but that doesn't mean I don't see it at all.

…

You are the one who sounds distressed. Perhaps, would you let me to come with you? I-I can help in many ways."

Lucina was a little taken aback. She raised a brow, uneasy as to how turn down such a soft proposition. A real sincerity transpired from the child's tone.

"Well, thank you very much. Sadly, I'll have to turn your offer down. Your daddy is probably going to be very worried if you don't return to him soon."

And she gently removed Hachi's hand from her glove. While she was leaving, she could have sworn to hear something like "it is exactly my goal…", but brushed it off.

As she sank deep into the woods, she didn't notice the light footsteps following her.

 _Mmmm, you really do need some help, don't you miss? Well, that's a good occasion. Daddy really deserves what is coming to him, after all…_

* * *

The small group was proceeding faster now, with the need to report back to Ylisstol what had occurred during the night. The procession was almost comical: Frederick walked ahead and was swiping the passage, watching around meerkat style; Chrom was laughing beside an overwhelmed tactician, Lissa refusing to break off the flow of her questions; and behind, you could hear Virion proclaiming vain flirtatious speeches to Sully who seemed ready to let her horse trample him.

Unbeknownst to the group, something was circling around them, with the lightness and speed of the wind. The thing come to a halt at the loud trio's level and released a low growl. The stalwart knight reacted immediately at the faint sound by putting a ready hand on his spear and turning abruptly on his heels. There, in the darkness of the woods, two pairs of startling eyes totally froze him. One set was golden and blue; the second was a deep blue. They were piercing waves of spears through his soul, and the knight found it oddly difficult to swallow. Heck, he wasn't even able to utter a word to warn the royal family. Luckily, the eyes disappeared before anyone else could see them.

"What's going on, Frederick?" inquired the prince turning to the direction where the wary man was looking, to see only bushes.

Frederick lowered his hand, somehow totally sure that whatever it was, it had run far away for the moment. He turned to face the road again, clutching his jaw. He forced his voice to come as neutral as possible.

"I beg your pardon, sir."

Frederick was more alert than ever. He already has failed the royal family when he wasn't quick enough to face the undead warriors beforehand. And now, he was letting his guard down so as to let some possibly dangerous animals near the prince and princess, be it a rabbit or a squirrel. Who knows how much these small rodents can be dangerous.

However, at already a few kilometers from there, "it" stopped again. They sniffed the air and restarted in a swift motion. They had to move. "She" obviously wasn't here. They had to head to Ferox. Maybe they will find her in the cold lands…

* * *

Not far from Ylisstol, Lucina was trying to find a way to hide the Falchion. She had already prepared a different scabbard and covered the hilt with black strips she removed from her own cape. For the moment, she was looking for something that could dye the blade non-permanently, just as an extra precaution. After half an hour of research, she was starting to lose hope, when she slipped on a black viscous substance. She stood up, re-adjusting her mask, and looked at her incidental discovery. A small victorious smile came across her figure, until her eyes landed on a tiny box where the staining puddle was coming from. Her eyes grew big with fear and dread. It was a reeking box!

She quickly jumped on her feet and scanned the area. Fortunately, it doesn't seem like an ambush. Risen's gruntings could be heard a little further, dangerously close to the city's walls. Judging by the box, there shouldn't be too much of them, but nonetheless, the princess had to get rid of them before entering the city.

She made a dash in the direction of the sound. Approaching her first opponent from behind, she silently drew her sword and chopped its head in the same motion. After what, the surprise effect last only five more seconds. Five deadly seconds for three other undead. But as she prepared to jump above two fighters who were running in her direction with raised axes, she heard a loud screech. She jumped aside to see a risen turning onto dust and a white blur run past her, right in front of the two risen who were now shooting their weapons down to where she stood a second ago. Two quick glints and the two wicked creatures were no more.

Lucina's mouth almost hung agape when she recognized Hachi's frail figure. Did the small girl just save her life? Anyhow, in the middle of a battle, she knew better than get distracted. Catching only three remaining beast surrounding the small girl, she prepared to propel herself and end them on their spot. At this moment, the white haired girl slowly raised her white katana and danced through her attackers. When she lowered her sword, a dark glowing dust flew around her.

Hachi slowly sheathed her sword back and without turning, she said in her cold and neutral voice,

"…See. I can protect myself. I can help you. And I won't ask anything about you or your goals. So, please, let me do a bit of a journey with you…"

The young woman's eyes grew as big as ones of an owl under her mask.

"Why would you come along with a stranger? And who taught you to fight like that? I mean, why did you even follow me? Don't you have a family that is waiting for you?"

There was a long silence before the young girl spoke with a wavering voice.

"I-I can sense that you're trustworthy. And you, you know, about my family… I only have my father…B-but, he d-d-drinks, and he's v-viol-lent. Some days, I even wonder if he'll k-kill me… Sometimes he looks a-at me as if he wants to eat m-me…"

After that, the child exhaled forcefully, as if talking this much strained her. Lucina frowned; the child was obviously telling the truth. Of course, she couldn't leave a poor innocent like this. She pondered her options a while. Perhaps, she could just leave her in the hands of some good people she could get across before reaching Regna Ferox. She just regretted to not be able to make such a horrible father pay for his behavior.

"Haah… okay. You can come along. But it will only be for a short time. I'll buy you a cloak in the town, so if anybody sees you with me, they won't recognize you later. And as soon as we come across a safe home for you, you stay there, understood?"

Lucina paused for a moment as she remembered something else. "Also, you seem to be quite a sword master. I hope you don't see any issue with me guarding your weapons at night."

Hachi nodded hastily. As the princess looked around to remember where she came from, she walked swiftly at her and gave her a box.

"I believe you lost this…"

In her palm, the exalted blood saw the previous small reeking box; the exact thing she was looking for. She raised her head the skillful kid and smiled gratefully, forgetting she couldn't see her.

"Thank you."

Hachi nodded again, stepping aside. "Lead on, then…"

In the morning light, the two sword masters walked swiftly toward the capital's gates.

* * *

Behind it, there was blood. In front of it: blood as well. The large creature opened its maw letting two heads roll on the sand. Yes, the bandits' camp was a hellish mess. Every single human stupid enough to not flee when the occasion came was now a bloody pulp.

It wrinkled his nose, not particularly enjoyed by the sight of spilled up intestines. It cracked its neck and stood up, flexing its powerful muscle. Yawning, it stretched its front paws and limped to its small package.

"Hehe, look at this cousin! What a beautiful painting you did here! CAW, you didn't even leave anything interesting behind. Not a small test subject for me, not a single chunk of meat for the CROWS! Well, I don't think that they mind minced meat for once..."

The beast huffed; turning its back to the dark mage perched on the watchtower (which BY THE WAY wouldn't have been very useful), whose feet were playfully swinging over the void. It couldn't help it; nobody messed up with the peace in its territory.

The dark mage tilted his head, adding cheerfully. "Hey, you know, you limp more and more over the years."

The beast growled.

"Come on, don't be like that. It was just an observation! Besides, I'm pretty sure no CAW will ever be able to happen to your ankle, Wolfen! Anyway, is that new clothing for your pup?"

The so-called Wolfen turned slightly and nodded before slowly heading into the woods. The dark mage jumped on the railing, crows starting to swarm around him.

"Well, fun's over, I suppose! Bye, bye, Wolfy. I wish you good CAW! Oh, yes, one more thing: it's only small, but I may have a clue on … you-know-who. Ciao!"

With that, he was gone in a feathery storm. The creature sighed, not turning around, and started to run. Its long dark fleece gracefully swung in the wind, except where its scar kept the fur short, on its left thigh. It trailed its own sent back to the cave, its incredibly wide steps leading fast between the trees.

It didn't expect to find the place totally empty. At the first sniff, it could tell someone else came around. A human. Starting to panic, it entered the front part of the cave. But there was no living life in there. It hurriedly removed itself from the alcove and raised its head to its full length. Its ears, at two meters high, allowed it a wider listening field. It flicked its pointy ears to no avail. Finally, it lowered its head and started to trail the scent. It knew that now the day had come, it had to be careful and avoid the frequented areas. But what mattered now was to promptly find its cub.

And cut whoever was the unwary kidnapper into small pieces.

* * *

Hachi bit her lower lip, turning her head away from her new companion. She said terrible things about her daddy prior. Awfully false bad things. Her daddy was quite the opposite, in fact. As she thought that, she bit harder, guilt starting to upset her stomach, for some reason.

"Are you all right?" Lucina inquired, noticing the young girl's troubled expression.

Hachi instinctively blinked. "Hm? Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine… Should I call you "sir" in public?"

"Yes, it would be better."

Lucina's voice sounded pleased. The young girl lowered her head in shame. The good lady (though she kept insisting on being referred to as a man) trusted her. How will she react once she'll know she lied? At least, she hoped it would get the message across her daddy's headstrong brain with no big causalities. Probably, he would bear hug her and promise to work on his behavior to be a better father.

Dear how she was wrong…

* * *

 **Big thanks to The Rich Alder who accepted to Beta read this messed up fic.**

 **Don't forget to vote (if you don't, I'll just use the canon pairings).**

 **Characters might be a little AU sometimes; feel free to remind me.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Take care.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here, the plot should be a bit clearer.**

 **Disclaimer: see chapter 1.**

 **As you might have guessed, I am not a pro in fic writing (which is kind of an understatement). So, I repeat myself, but tips and criticism are welcomed.**

 **Feel free to make requests/suggestions, especially about the pairings, and ask any question about the details.**

 **Small precision: The voice of Wolfen corresponds roughly to that of Alan Rickman.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 : Deep in the woods**

« ROBIN!Hell, somebody gotta get a beeper for this kid… whatever it might be! »

The huge wolf roared, then scolded itself mentally; it was not the moment to draw attention. Well, you had to understand it. It had just found its younger brother after so many years, and he disappeared back into nature without a warning. Though it had told him to wait, now, with this "miracle potion" that it had just acquired, it could finally take a human form, it could accompany its brother without shaming him. But no, he was gone. And the worst was that it could not even pick up his olfactory trace! He literally vanished.

It whined, despite itself, and then quickly regained its composure. In a rage, it grabbed the little vial of magic liquid with its teeth and threw it away. It looked for its sibling a few hours, to no avail. Despite the need to keep a low profile, it let out a jarring roar. It was alone. Again. It wanted to end its life. Only, that was impossible. In addition, there was still something that had to be done.

It had to let off steam. It sniffed the air. An unhealthy smile drew on its canine face when it perceived the whiff of a group of Plegian bandits. Perfect. What disturbed it a bit was the weak, characteristic odor of simple peasants that seemed to mingle with the first sent.

It ran in the direction of the group of humans, easily covering the kilometers that separated them in a few minutes, with its strange three-legged race. It paused for a moment before making its appearance in, wrinkling its nose. The area smelled of charred wood and burned flesh. The peasants' flesh, probably. Bending down, it threw a glance through the bushes to see that it was the remains of a caravan that had been attacked by the bandits. It did not particularly bear mankind in its heart, but it had some moral values. That was also why it usually only attacked brigands. However, its criteria stopped there. If the group included women and children, provided they were in cahoots, it treated them all the same.

Anyway, the scene merely added fuel to its bloodlust. In its "hunting", it accepted that those who knew their limits fled. In fact, it did not pity them, but was just too lazy to continue the track. So it gave a short howl to alert its prey.

The humans immediately ceased whatever they were doing to unsheathe their weapons. Too late - the beast was among them. This time they understood what fell upon them. But by the time they did, ten of their companions were motionless on the ground. "They are slow, these humans", thought the wolf, while it sank its fangs into the flesh of a warrior, through his armor.

It swung the bloody body away without really tasting it. And for good reason; the wolf had done it some years prior, and aside from the tenderness of the meat, humans were wearing the taste of their sins. Overall, disgusting. Fools began to run in its direction. The little game was going to begin. It clawed the ground and rolled its shoulders.

Its first opponents came. Calling all the magic it had, it rose on its hind paws. Its arms and torso were surrounded by luminescent, cryptic symbols. Its forepaws lengthened into hands and shoulders parted further. Now, in a complete bipedal posture, the creature could look up at the vermin from three meters high. To everyone's surprise, the humanoid creature opened his mouth and spoke in a deep, almost musical voice. "May your gods smile upon you."

He then leaped very high and landed behind the line that had formed to attack. He spun on his heel, his clawed hands ready like deadly scythes. He made two circular arcs using the inertia of his body to add power to the blows without tiring. With every movement, a bandit fell, ripped open. He avoided an axe with a smooth twist and sent the holder smashing against a tree with the back of his hand. He jumped on a dark flier who was taking off and crashed to the ground, the mount as the cavalier, and the head of the latter burst like a watermelon on impact. A myrmidon brandishing a sword to slay him met his end with his head into the maw of the creature, far away from his body. The wolf turned to face the five remaining bandits. Two dark mages and three barbarians.

The beast growled, a little disappointed. The game was already over, no matter what the two tome wielders attempted to do. Suddenly he felt two arrows pierce his shoulder and turned to see an archer. A young trembling beanpole of a human. The creature threw a glance at the other five to see them running away, and then refocused on the archer. She had not loaded her bow. Either she was too afraid, or her sole purpose was to allow her companions to flee. Wolfen chose the latter option, being the most honorable, and therefore decided to spare the life of the youngster. Who managed to utter a word through her tears.

"G-GED…"

The wolf stopped for a moment and sighed. "Stupid nickname"

He knocked the archer with the edge of his hand. Then he turned slowly in the direction where the survivors had fled. This time he would not let them escape. Running on his three valid limbs, he sprinted toward them, but as soon as he saw them, he halted abruptly. Well, more likely when he saw behind who they were standing. For the first time of the evening, Wolfen deigned to show his fangs. The man's back was facing him, but he could recognize this slim silhouette and black scrub brush of a mop from a thousand people.

"Validar"

It was because of him; because of this man that he had to spend his youth in flight! He growled ferociously. The descendant of the Fell Dragon slowly turned, grinning madly. Before him, there was a kneeled girl who could not have been more than five years old. Her jet black hair covered her face, and he could see that blood was flowing from her eyes. In her hands she held a bloody knife while sitting in front of the corpse of a woman wearing the same dress as the rest of the brigands. Wolfen's eyes widened: the child and the woman held the same smell!

"Wolfen! Or should I call you Golden Eyed Devil? Bah, whatever, you do not even deserve to have a name. You came too late. The show's over. This kid deserves applause! Not even five and already committing her first homicide. But wouldn't that make Aversa jealous!" He chuckled deeply.

With his golden apex predator eyes, the beast stared at the mage. He hesitated to attack. None of his little spells would be fatal to him, after all. However he did not particularly want his ass to be roasted with no good reason.

"This is my territory here. You are not welcomed. If you are looking for my brother, it is useless. He is not here. Quit these places and leave my prey. "

The two "men" glared each other long before Validar scowled. The presence of the devil importuned him. However, he was right. If he had felt the presence of his son in the woods earlier, it had in fact truly gone. Despite his pride, the Plegian could not stand up to the killing machine in front of him, which for some reason did not yet get rid of him.

In truth, Wolfen wanted just that. But he had to leave him alive. For now. He and his "companions" had to find what was going on, they had to go back to the source of the problem. And the problem was not only the psychopathic desire of the Grimleal to revive their so called "god." It was more complicated than that. Of course, no one other than his small group knew. But it would be impossible to understand if they do not let the Fell Blood draw his little schemes.

Before his instincts dictated him to do otherwise, the magician disappeared in a purplish column of light, completely abandoning his henchmen. Wolfen gave them a glance. This was enough to make them run away. In the end, he did not look after them. Instead, his attention was caught by the girl. She had not moved, petrified in her original position. Could it be true? Could it be that she killed her own family? But why? Curious, the wolf sat on his rears, his spell wore off with a sound of shattered glass, making him turn back into his normal appearance, that of a "simple giant wolf". They stayed like this for about an hour. The small one didn't even seem to have noticed the large creature.

Wolfen felt if left as she was, the tiny being would simply let herself die. He breathed out sadly. Yet another soul who will live in the man's hell. He got up and walked to the depths of the woods, pausing a moment to pronounce these words:

"Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness. But do not stay still. It'll only be worse. "

With this, he left slowly, hearing behind him a weak stir.

* * *

Lucina wondered again why she had accepted Hachi's company. True, it was her duty to help those in need. But had she not a much more important mission on the stove? Like, save the world from total destruction, for example? Well, at least, for now the little girl was more than helpful. She had managed to get them through the checkpoints of Ylisstol's gates by coaxing the guards, without getting her to remove her mask. The princess thought with admiration that she would have to ask her for acting classes.

They walked side by side, away from the street where the Exalt Emmeryn was processing. The Hero King's descendant and her new companion quickly passed through to check on the presence of her father. Now they had to purchase provisions and find a small inn where people would not ask them too many questions. They had to rest now because they would probably not have the opportunity to do so on their way to Regna Ferox.

Neither of them spoke, and of that, Lucina was grateful to the child. At the market, she was obliged to speak, as the girl did not know what they would need for their journey. After buying dry food (for better conservation) and a cloak for the child from an eerily familiar red-haired merchant, Lucina weighed her purse. There was only enough to pay for a single room for one night. The swordswoman winced. She had not really thought about money when returning to the past. She leaned over and whispered to Hachi, "Listen, I have not enough to pay two rooms. I hope it doesn't bother you to share one. I'll sleep one the flo-"

The young woman watched in bewilderment the small pouch that Hachi was handing her. She still had her eyes closed and muttered at the same volume as her companion.

"It's not much. Also, we should save money and take one room ... And I prefer the floor. "

The one disguised as Marth took the purse and heard the tinkling of coins. She felt like she was stealing from a child and put the wallet in the hands of Hachi for her to take it back. However, the latter withdrew her hand and said firmly, "No. I do not need it". The princess grimaced. Unfortunately for her, she would certainly need it. She uneasily put the purse away, wandering how the little girl managed to be in possession of any amount of money. She noticed that the market place was starting to get crowded. She then began to quickly walk to the dwelling district. After a moment, she realized that Hachi was not following her anymore. She turned back and found her wandering among the passersby. She scolded herself at that moment to have forgotten the child's blindness. She patted her on the shoulder, not very sure of what she would do next.

"Hachi, come. Give…give me your hand."

The young girl cocked her head to the side before sliding her hand into the princess' and squeezing it lightly to tell her it was good. Lucina was not really used to hold someone's hand. Hachi neither. Indeed, they showed it. Their hands looked like they were in a very complicated position of arm wrestling.

Arriving at a small inn near the northern gates of the city, they let go of their hands. Lucina asked for a room, she and Hachi completely oblivious to the strange look the innkeeper was giving them, going back and forth between the apparent young man and the child. But he said nothing and gave them the key. Despite the blue haired teen's protests, she failed to make the child sleep in the bed, and honor at stake, she could not sleep in the bed either. In the end, both of them slept on the floor.

The next day, the two swordswomen left the city without hindrance, but with no time to look for a host family for Hachi. To avoid attracting attention, they decided to drive through the forest paths. Occasionally, Lucina threw glances at her silent companion, wondering if she was thinking something under her closed eyelids.

* * *

 _Hachi remembered the last thing her eyes ever saw: shards of glass. And her mother's corpse. She had never truly been shocked by her death. Death that, by the way, she caused. Her Papa hypocritically scolded her about her insensibility. But she couldn't do anything about it. In fact, she had even felt freed._

 _This woman treated her like a piece of trash since the day she was born, while herself was quite… promiscuous. Sadly, or luckily for her, the child was very precocious. And the day she had decided to rebel against her ill treatment was the last day she saw the light of it. Her mother was immediately mad at her. It was clear that she had not been desired, but from that to smash her face on shards..._

 _She did not remember how she found herself with a knife in hands (though, it was not difficult in a camp full of bandits). She reacted instinctively, and she was petrified with both horror and fascination to her work. The outside world came to her as muffled sounds. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, her consciousness returned. But she was already no more able to see anything. She heard words addressed to her. A deep and male voice. "Move on ..."_

 _Lost in this ocean that was life, having cut her only mooring line, her mother, she was looking for something, or more likely someone to cling to. That's why she followed, trotting, the presence of the person who had said those words. She stumbled several times, fell even, never stopping on following the person in front of her. They stopped abruptly, and she went nose first with a hairy column. There was a sound as if the person turned around, and she felt their hot breath above her head._

 _"Don't follow me."_

 _Harsh. But the voice- that of a man, with no doubt- had a repressed gentleness that she could perceive, now. She frantically nodded, tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. She was sure to have her eyes wide open, and she hoped he would see the distress in it. Instead, he paused a long time, and then said,"…You're blind, aren't you?"_

 _The child opined slowly. She expected the man to do something, but he just seemed to turn and leave. She did her best to follow. This lasted a few minutes, during which she never ceased to bump onto all the branches and roots in the path. The person stopped again, sighing._

 _"You've never been told that you should not follow the Big Bad Wolf?"_

 _Fortunately, being a child, she took his words literally. At the same time, it explained the hairy sensation. However, no one had ever taught her "normality", so she did not make big deal of it, and continued to quietly follow the wolf who could speak. To her dismay, he ran and left her behind in the second. Totally lost now, and not knowing where to go, the newly blind child sat on the ground and stood still. She remained in this position for hours. It rained. Night fell. It was freezing. She was slowly slipping into unconsciousness. Suddenly, the presence was there again. She could not move. She felt the wolf held her by the back of her clothes and lift her. She was tossed for some time before the air around her heated up. She felt something warm and soft wrap around her. It breathed. Yes, "it", or obviously "he", was definitely a beast of some sort. His words vibrated through all his body, and by extension shook the child._

 _"Seriously, how long did you plan to wait out there? Are you stupid at that point?"_

 _There was a lot of sarcasm in his voice, but his presence was reassuring. After that, she fell asleep unceremoniously. The next day, she woke up alone, and stayed almost unmoving until the air chilled anew, indicating her of the arriving dusk. Well, she didn't know what to do else, her survival instincts not very active. To her astonishment, the wolf came back, with a piece of jerked meat he tossed to her laps. He growled, obviously not expecting her to still be here, even if he brought the food just in case. The night, he slept with her to prevent her from hypothermia, but once the air was warm enough, he left again. This little game was repeated for dour days, until one evening, she asked something that would change the lives of both of them. She did not know where the idea came from, but she asked anyway:_

 _"Say, sir, could you be my daddy?"_

 _For a while, he didn't say anything, and she thought he fell asleep. Then he answered her. By a big goofy laugh._

 _"Hah! Why not? That could be fun! In any case, either you have guts of steel or something is terribly wrong with you for wanting the Big Bad Wolf as a father! What is your name, tiny one? "_

 _…_

 _…_

 _"I don't have any…"_

 _The wolf paused for a few moments before adding, more seriously._

 _"In that case, does… Hachi sound good to you? It's a diminutive for Hachiko. You seem to be willing to wait here every day, probably until death comes at you, if not me, like this dog."_

 _In response, the newly named Hachi smiled and snuggled against her new family._

 _Without the two knowing, what started like a game for one, and a last resort for the other, ended up creating a strong bond between the two. And that's how over the past four years, Wolfen gradually became a true father to her. She couldn't see it, but after three days, her new father told her that her hair became white (supposedly because of sudden canities). She never really understood the problem in him being a two meter high wolf, especially since he had shown himself a worthy father._

 _However, she soon noticed his hatred of mankind, scarcely understanding that now he had adopted her, she was a cub to him. Nevertheless, it meant that he prevented her from approaching any human. And often left her alone in the woods, while retrieving what they might need. He brought books, food, clothes; weapons, too, because as soon as he had enough trust in her, he began to teach her "self-defense". But what she wanted was to go with him, explore, and learn a little. And not be alone all day. She had told him once, but he shrugged it away. Thus she had set up another plan._

And so now she was travelling with some "Marth" to unknown lands.

* * *

Henry was a bit bored, perched on his tree. From where he was, he could observe the Grimleal without being seen. They had virtually done nothing for hours, except for their daily ritual dedicated to the incoming resurrection of Grima. Why incoming? This was the conclusion he had come to rummaging a little in Validar's shadow. That's how he figured out his cousin's situation. Although Plegian himself, and a dark mage moreover, he gave little reverence to his "god." Not to say that he rather saw him askance. He loved destruction, but apparently the Fell Dragon would somehow take his cousin's life to resuscitate. Therefore, the idea did not inspire him that much.

However, there was something else, apart from the safety of his family, which concerned him. The case began some years ago, two years before his other cousin, Wolfen, found his pup. Now that he thought about it, their tracks had not made much progress in six years.

* * *

 _He recalled that both of them were passing through a desert in their homeland. His cousin had much more trouble than him to endure the sun flaring with his long dark coat. Yet it was he who had initiated the journey. He had pretended a strange intuition that drove him to seek in this desolate area. Still Henry was almost certain that the idea was initiated by the divine spirit that was Wolfen's father. He had to say something very appalling for his son to suddenly decide to leave his forest. But both were able to see for themselves that something was wrong._

 _The small sand animals were agitated. The wolf himself said he finally preferred to turn back, he who usually was not even afraid of death. And indeed, even if in the desert it was usually dead calm, one could always hear the wind or the rubbing of the sand. However, as they were crossing the remote place, no matter how much the wind blew, nothing was audible. It was like being in an evacuated bell jar. Henry could also feel that the amount of magic in the area increased exponentially as they approached the village indicated on the map. They were only a hundred meters from the hamlet when Wolfen collapsed. Henry ran to ask for water to villagers. Upon seeing his creepy stare, they strangely did not argue. By the time he trotted back toward his cousin, he saw the eyes of the latter grew big in surprise, but not at him. He then turned to witness the eeriest spectacle he had ever seen._

 _The village, where he had felt the magic pressure at its peak, was floating. Land and houses were slowly torn, and began to fly towards the sky. It was as if the gravity field had reversed in this space. It was not anticipated, as showed the reaction of the screaming men who flew with their homes._

 _Too stunned at first, Henry made a move to approach the phenomenon, the floating village already high in the sky. He was stopped short by a roar of his cousin. "Stay away!"_

 _The black mage knew better than to put into question the instincts of the wolf, and they both stayed smug in front of this show, until the village totally disappeared in the stratosphere. After what, Wolfen looked at Henry with a frown that would be a raised eyebrow, if he had any._

 _"You do not think we should have saved them?"_

 _Henry shrugged. "Who told you that they needed to be saved?"_

 _The wolf sniffed, and set out to find a shadow. When they were in the shelter of a palm tree, they both sat down in the sand and shared some water. The mage turned to the huge creature and asked in an unusually quiet tone, feeling that there was a mystery of colossal importance, "So are you going to tell me what's happening?"_

 _Wolfen sighed, closing his eyes. "Look, I do not know much, and thank you for paying it just a little bit of attention. You shall have guessed, I suppose: my old man visited me. Usually, I care less, but then he disappeared without being able to finish annoying me. He told me that something serious was happening, and that it was closely related to Grima, or rather, to the manifestation of its brand among mortals. He said that the primordial were agitated, and that soon the world would be in a state of chaos. As proof, he told me to visit this area and another in the north. Apparently, this kind of phenomenon happens more and more, for now only in regions with extreme climate. But who knows what will happen in the future. And while he was speaking to me, he was slowly disappearing, and I can no more feel his presence in this realm. That's why it is all that I could learn. It's still pretty ... creepy, isn't it? "_

 _Henry opened his eyes that were rarely visible, and then laughed. "Hah! Holly CAW! For sure, you did well to call me! It's worth the trouble! I do not know about the importance of the event on the future of our world, but ... are you interested to investigate this? "_

 _The huge wolf merely nodded, obviously strained by his long speech. "…But where to start?"_

 _"Hmmm, right. If it's related to Grima, maybe we should oversee Robin's old man?"_

 _"…That, I can take care of it safely. It would be better for you to research in places, you know… less accessible…"_

 _"Beh, it's not fair! You want to keep all the fun of playing spies for yourself! But … I guess I do not have much choice. "_

 _The silver haired man stood up, dusting himself, and began to walk away. "Well, good CAW to you! Oh, and, please, try to not decimate an army on your way back, GED."_

* * *

Unfortunately, they had not advanced much in their research. All they knew so far was that Validar and his sect might not be joking about the imminent return of the Fell Dragon, and a name, that seemed to be diligently erased from any writings that could have mentioned it. Bormahro. Occasionally, he saw the phenomenon a few other times. Although it was always in remote places, so it never alarmed anyone else.

Boredom was getting at the dark mage, until he saw a woman dressed somewhat outrageously that did not seem much interested in what was happening in front of her. She stood a little apart, at the royal inspector side, but far from him nonetheless. Henry could not see her eyes, hidden by her hair, and she seemed to nail biting. He went down quietly and came to her level.

"Heh, pst."

The woman was startled and turned his way with a glare. "What?" Then she noticed the color of his hair and the crows on his shoulders. Her eyes widened. "You are… ! "

Henry put a finger to his lips and motioned for her to follow. The female dark mage shrugged but followed him, making sure nobody was looking in their direction.

After a few steps, she stopped and crossed her arms. "And what brings the famous silver haired sorcerer here?"

"Well, as you did not seem interested in what was going on before you, and it also began to bother me, I just wanted to ask you two quick questions."

The woman wrinkled her nose

"Go ahead…"

"Ok, then: are you really interested in the whole resurrection of Grima stuff?"

She gave him a skeptical look. "Do I seem to be interested in a giant lizard that would annihilate my test subjects?"

Henry smiled widely. "Well, well. We can get along, then. "

"I do not have all day. Give me your second question before I decide it's not worth trouble. "

"It's amazing that you ask me. You see, me neither, I'm not a big fan. Except of course if it could allow me to have a dreadful and painful death. So, for now, I propose to use these brainwashed fools for some…testing. Would you like to join me? "

The witch eyed him for a moment as if he had a second head. Surprisingly, a creepy smile drew on her face. "It's the best proposition I've had in months…"

"Caw! Awesome ! Let's go play, then. Ah, yes, I almost forgot. My name is Henry, and yours?"

"... Tharja"

* * *

The young wolf stopped and yawned loudly. The second wolf joined the first and sighed.

"It is useless, Sis. It makes no sense to simply rake the continent in search of her..."

The other wolf growled, and in a flash of light, shifted into a teenage girl. She puffed out her cheeks, her bicolored eyes clearly showing her displeasure."And what else do you want us to do, Fang!? Morgan is the only one that could have a proper plan. I'm sure she knows exactly what to do, since she is the one who dragged us in that. And, come on, it is the minimum! Don't you think she is traumatized right now? With Marc's dea…" She suddenly quieted down.

At first, the other wolf did not answer. He also took on his human form and handed his sibling a white mantle. "Okay, okay. You have a point. Let's look a little more. But put that on. We'll be less noticeable in all this powder snow."

Both went silent, walking quickly but stealthily through the cold woods. After a moment, the girl lowered her head and whispered, "Okay, you win. If within a month, we did not find her, we continue with our own plan. "

His brother put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It is a wise decision, Lin. Let's not waste any time."

* * *

It had been barely two hours as the two swordswomen left the capital behind. Two hours that the princess felt a not really reassuring presence in her back. Hachi, who had not uttered a word since their departure, and was following the fast pace of the young woman without flinching, stopped suddenly and turned slightly. She pointed to one direction, and said in her monotone voice, "It seems that there is a spring over there. I'll go fill the flasks."

Lucina was surprised by the child's sagacity, if not of her extremely acute hearing, but allowed her to go. She didn't particularly want to leave her alone, but she needed a little time by herself. Once the child left, the princess checked her surroundings and untied both her hair and mask. She exhaled with ease, happy to be able to breathe with no burden. She stood, eyes closed, breathing the clean air she discovered little by little in this timeline.

Suddenly a gust of wind lifted her hair. Surprised, she looked in the direction whence the wind came. As there was nothing she turned. And was met by luminescent eyes, so terrifying that she felt as if she was back in front of Grima. She hastily unsheathed her sword, too overwhelmed by the creature's glare to wonder what it was. The …"thing" snarled deeply, and surprisingly, spoke to her.

"Put. This. Toothpick. Away. Nothing. Can save you. Your life. Ends here."

In a flash, the beast was swooping down on her. And all she could see, while a cry escaped her lips, was a row of sharp teeth headed straight for her throat.

* * *

 **I'll try my best and update at least one chapter a week, but I can't promise to be very regular. Thanks for taking the time to read it, anyway. And thanks again to the Rich Alder for beta reading this fic.**

 **Since mentions may be interesting, I'll right them here, at the end.**

 **-"Cry. Forgive…" is a quote from Steve Maraboli, a behavioral scientist specialized in motivational psychology.**

 **-The land levitating thing is found in many stories, but I personally was inspired by what happens at the end of the 6 volume manga "Tales of Destiny" of Shinki KITSUTSUKI. The manga itself is an adaptation of the video game.**

 **-"Bormahro" comes from the draconic language used in the game Skyrim (owned by Bethesda): "Bormah" means "father", and "ro" means "balance"**

 **-"Wolfen" comes from an American horror movie released in 1981, which is… pretty much an average werewolf movie that doesn't include romance (meaning a lot of gore, and nothing more). But the name was cool.**

 **By the way, I did the cover of the fic. I know my drawing skills are not perfect, and I have no tool for digital art, but if you wish to do a request, I'll take time to draw it (mind that I'm not a fan of coloring). So, advertising time's over.**

 **Until next time,**  
 **Alaya.**


End file.
